Welcome, Welcome! You've probably guessed by now, but this is a text-based Persona RPG site for Atlus fans, by Atlus fans. If you're new to Shin Megami Tensei, this place can still be for you, so no need to dash towards the doors! Your first stop should be the introduction board so we can introduce ourselves. Then right after that, feel free to go through our vital information to get a good feel of the site. We hope you enjoy your stay, and if you have any questions don't hesitate to post them here. Ciao!

Heya! I'm your friendly neighborhood Larsinny, a demon here to keep you updated on the current debacles going on within the site! Okay, maybe not debacles... Anyway! The Endymion Plot, our Third Main Plot, is underway! We also have our sideplot taking place called Junction! If you're a new member looking to join the new plot, you will want to choose Endymion. However, if you're interested in our sideplot, you may also join that one aswell. The choice is ultimately up to you! The Dungeon Master of the Junction plot is CWIS and the DM of the current Endymion plot is Godai and Grantus.

All templates on the site have been updated, and this also includes the rules aswell. When referring to the rules, please disregard any that say "Old" or "Obsolete" as we are no longer using those rules for the Endymion Plot. Oh, don't be mistaken! I love breaking the rules! But in this case, follow them or erasure!

Be sure to constantly check the update thread for any changes to the boards. You can find it->Here

More to come

Jukebox

The Maker

Shin Megami Tensei and Persona belong to ATLUS. We own nothing, and have simply used their data to create a world of our own. They are the true geniuses behind the scenes.

YumiAmi☆♥ fell to the ground once again -- helpless and at the mercy of the group. It seemed that she had finally realized the futility of her struggle. No words came from her mouth: no desperate pleas to be spared or shocked denials of what was going. She knew that this was the end for her. She knew that no one was coming to save her and that'd she die here alone. In a way, Azami felt bad for her. There was a genuine pity in her eyes buried beneath the hunger, but no amount of sympathy would buy her salvation. The Wild Card knew what had to be done and, even if she wouldn't admit it, she was feeling eager of all things. Eager to slaughter her enemy, to grow stronger... Those feelings, regardless of how much Azami detested them, existed inside her.

Step by step, she approached Yumi slowly. The sound of her footsteps would shatter through the silence as she drew closer and closer. The black butterfly had found its prey and it was ready to feast. Clutching the soulbound weapon tightly in her hand, Azami would gently push it underneath Yumi's chin and raise it upwards. Assuming she didn't resist this, her head would be brought up alongside it and Yumi would find herself looking directly at Azami's face from below. For a brief moment the two would simply stay like this before the woman pulled the shinai back to her side and offered a genuine apology to her victim.

"Sorry."

It was with that simple word that Azami struck. She swung the weapon toward her enemy with murderous intent! It was time to put this hypothesis of hers to the test.

—Strength Name: The Will of Madness—Description: Through a strange phenomena, Azami has gained a strange new power. Her stats are increased, and all damage done to Azami is cut in half, while their attacks deal double damage automatically.

The attack was all that was needed to finish her off. She fell forward onto her knees, the propping of her blade not even helping her stand. Azami could feel the strange malice from before leave her, like a wash of relief, along with his strange power. And yet she felt like it was still lingering. If she needed it...well, one could only wonder. Regardless, she giggled. "Alright alright. That's fair. Fine, you win. I didn't get what I wanted. You and I are people that just have their own reasons for doing things. We will never understand each other, and yet we are similar in some ways. I may be a compulsive liar, but at least I have an actual reason to do what I do. So figure out what's next; I'm sure Adiyna knows a lot more since he has actual info on what's affecting this world and other worlds. It's not just the people here you have to worry about☆♥" She looked at the ground, completely pitiless. She didn't want to die screaming, but she knew she failed, and that hurt her very soul. Lewis looked at her and to the rest. "You don't REALLY plan to kill her do you? Even if she doesn't tell us anything useful....killing just seems off to me." Simon looked at Joshua. Something through this fight struck out to him, and he understood what it was after watching his eyes. Something changed, but he made no comment. In fact, he said no words, and simply took a few steps ahead of them. He turned to the group. "We're done. Let's just confine her somewhere and talk to Zackary." Simon was not a man of many words, but when he spoke, he meant them. Analee herself was silent as she gazed at the fight.

Zackary watched, intrigued by the development. Adiyna grimaced. "You are such a fool. You could have just abandoned us!" he shouted towards the edge of the building. YumiAmi☆♥ chuckled. "You're such a loser Adiyna. We are forced to act when you take up arms. But some of us don't volunteer like you do. Keep living your life of knowing you do the right thing, all the while alongside some people that didn't get to choose☆♥"

The strange surge of power departed from Azami and with its disappearance came a sigh of relief. Though the aid was welcome it felt... wrong. Nevertheless, power was power. If it helped her defeat the enemy then she couldn't ask for much else.

Interestingly enough, it seemed that her speculation was both right and wrong. Yumi's defeat offered her strength just like killing the demons did, but knocking her unconscious seemed to do the trick. Azami had assumed that she'd have to kill her to claim the power she sought, but in the end that proved unnecessary. The gluttonous look in her eyes almost completely faded away with this revelation, but that didn't mean that Yumi was safe. Azami wasn't just going to let her would-be murderer leave here alive. She had to ensure that the purple-haired woman would never bother her or this world again. And that meant resorting to... unpleasant measures.

"Confinement? So that one of her friends can swoop by and free her, you mean? And that's assuming she can't find her own way out of whatever makeshift prison you plan on cooking up. Maybe you people are fine with playing Russian roulette with our world at stake, but I'm not. I'm not risking billions of lives just so I don't have to feel bad about the blood on my hands."

"What I said from earlier still applies. If you try to stop me, I'll kill you too. It doesn't matter who or how many. You'll meet the same fate as her."

With that said and done, she would look down at Yumi. She hesitated for a few seconds, a period of time in which the group was free to try and stop her, but soon enough she'd lose that reluctance and resign herself to the task at hand. Her shinai would come flying down once more and, if the strike found its mark, would end the traitor once and for all.

OOC Notes:

Ignore the 7 SP added at the end of the last turn. Invigorate 3 adds 7 SP at the start of each turn, not the end.

The battle was over, they won and she lost. It was as simple as that as YumiAmi would be now vulnerable to the sudden strike to Azami's soulbound shinai. Joshua would only stare at the scene and would remain silent. He couldn't tell what kind of expression he had on his own face. But it was nice of her to admit that this "Adiyna" knew more about what's going on. Perhaps it was that panda-bear boy from earlier. If so, then--

Joshua finally blinked at Lewis and then at Simon. There was a slow dark pit forming in his stomach. Something heavy that nestled inside with trepidation. Something about this felt... familiar. His attention was directed back at the top of the building. It seemed he was right, that boy was this Adiyna. He tried to consider the options here. On one hand, they couldn't let her live as Azami said. In fact, YumiAmi had admitted to wanting to destroy the worlds earlier and he couldn't blame Azami wanting to end her for trying to kill her earlier. He just couldn't... because he was no different.

"Azami is right. She has to die. She's a threat to all of us. I don't feel like taking any chances either. You all heard from this bitch's own mouth about not allowing this world to be saved. I might have considered letting her live, but she's no use to us if she's not going to tell us anything about what's going on. And besides, we have those two."

Joshua glanced back at Zachary and Adiyna. His words would get Simon's attention as well. Knowing this, he looked back at his friend as he crossed his arms while Yamato started to sheath its blade.

"Don't you dare stop this. If you do, then you're a hypocrite. How is anything what Azami is doing any different to what we were trying to do to the Primordials and Angels two years ago, Simon? Why do you seem to be unwilling on the idea of ridding ourselves of this bitch?"

Considering how they were both trying to rid the world of those two parties two years ago, how should any of this be any different? There seems to be some inconsistency with Simon, it seemed. Why?

Once the battle was officially over and Yumi fell down to her knees, Shunnosuke let a sigh slip out and remained in silence. Astraea understood her owner's apathy but...there was something else. Her ethereal body begun to shift in the air, not fading until disappearing completely as usual after a battle. Something was off. The young man didn't make his soulbound vanish, as he normally would. Rather, he held it tight in his thin, long-fingered hands and it was justifiable. He was tense. The following conversation made him anxious. Simon's friend, as well as the girl known as Azami, were seriously considering murdering YumiAmi.

— ...Because this is different. She's human... — He, who limited his actions to simply watching, glanced back at Joshua, with...confused eyes. Afraid eyes. They were humans, young men and women, considering taking the life of another human... Of course, in the past Event, chasing down Angels and Primordials alike might have sounded a reasonable course of action, and while Angels may have pretty much human-like appearances, it was a plausible course of action nonetheless: Angels were not humans in first place. They were aliens. Even if their purpose was primarily protective for Azores and the Alternate version of the islands Shunnosuke learned to care for, they were simply that: aliens to their knowledge. Same goes to Primordials, with the addition that, unlike Angels, they were there simply to destroy the reality Shun and everybody else knew. Their lives were in danger, and therefore, nullifying their existence was a self-defense measure. Shunnosuke understood that difference very well in his mind, so why couldn't others? He was sure that if there was a way to solve the issue without resorting to killing but rather sparing their lives, Hyde would have done it.

...Hyde. Shunnosuke had to think of him just now. Hyde wouldn't allow this if he was alive, if he was here... He always had this manga protagonist attitude, and definitely he'd pull it now. He'd try to protect Yumi and talk her ways out of it, ah, he would. Hyde was a hero in his time. Shunnosuke...wasn't. He never intended to be an User in first place. He never intended to meddle in this Angels x Primordials affair. He never cared. But...now he does...doesn't he? He was there, in Standasen, when he could have retreated back to his normal life. He chose to be there. So, he could choose between allowing Joshua, Azami and who else to kill Yumi or witnessing a murder and being an accomplice to this. Holding his soulbound, Shunnosuke only made a single movement in a precise time, to do what he had to, adrenaline running through this. His chainwhip flew in the air and landed on Azami's wrist, wrapping itself there, so the Kurosawa could pull it back.

— ...You're not doing this for billions of lives. You're doing this for yourself. — He glared at Azami... Knowing he wasn't wrong in this. She had the same bloodlust intent than Joshua has shown in the whole battle. It was just a hunch based on his observations on the glasses man, but it hardly could something else. — Enough of that, the girl is down already, she doesn't pose a threat anymore, she's not risking your life. If you really cared for billions of lives as you say, then you would go for the source. Zachary is up there, what prevents you from going to him? He's the one who orchestrated this! He's the one who has been inciting people and who knows what else has he done here! Didn't you say you are worried about the world? So stop right now and go chase him. — Shunnosuke noted Yumi was following orders, it was clear by the way she answered to the panda-hood boy named Adyina. Erasing her would hardly do anything but place the burden of someone else's life on their backs to carry. He wasn't willing to go that route... Was it compassion or mercy from someone who used to be morally ambiguous and egotistical? He would never answer...

The battle was finally over. with Azami being the one to land the final, yet not killing blow on their target. Following Joshua and Azami over to the fallen YumiAmi. "She has it coming for her. If you don't want to be a part of this, that's fine. Just leave. With her..." He'd nod his head towards YumiAmi. "I don't think Confinement is good enough. What's to say that she'll be a nice girl, and stay put? I'm sure she's just going to stab us in the back when it happens. As she said herself, she's a compulsive liar... and judging by her actions today, she can simply not be trusted. " Heck, it seemed that the woman had even accepted her own death to a degree. She wasn't trying to run. Not that she would make it very far. "I don't know what your history is with the primordials or whatever else, but I don't see a world where she can be trusted after this. You people should know this very well by this point. Confining someone like her isn't an option."

Phalanx, still in Orgia Mode, reacted instinctively when Shun Lashed out against Azami's wrist, parrying the strike with his own soulbound weapon. "So what? What right does that give you to interfere? Does this look like merciless killing to you?" His eyes locked with Shun's. "I doubt she would've showed you the same mercy if given a chance. Besides, look at her? Does she struggle anymore? She has accepted her fate." Clearly they weren't on the same page... but if it was a fight that this man wanted, he'd get it.

"All in due time. If you don't wish to be a part of this, as I said earlier... Scram."

Seeing the blade strike down, Simon would get ready to leap for it, but instead, an unexpected turnabout came, in the voice of Shunnosuke Kurosawa. The blade was deflected, but YumiAmi☆♥ fell backwards, clearly scared for her own life. Of course she didn't want to die after all. She was a hypocrite through and through, and yet...

Simon looked at Joshua with a glare unlike what he had given before. It looked like almost fury. "You disappoint me Joshua. Don't forget why you're here, to talk to Zackary. We're not here to indulge in bloodshed. I have never wavered from my desire to protect humanity. Have you?" He said, pulling out his crowbar. Anyone who knew him knew that this was unlike him. He might have shaken a little, but here, his stance was firm. He would not let this fight go unchallenged. Lewis stepped with Simon, against the group. He was in full support of them, because he had his own reasons.

"Guys, take it from an actual convict for kidnapping girls. You don't want to go that road. You'll burn yourself alive for it. It really is better to just regard it all as something worth fighting for. Let's do the right thing here." He looked at Shunnosuke, with a reassuring smile. He was more than impressed with his actions. He knew this man; and knew he was hardly the bravest person. He was flawed certainly, but what he did took alot of nerve. Lewis understood and liked him, but at this moment, Shunnosuke had earned his eternal respect. He and Simon would stand with him if they needed to.

People are fickle creatures, and yet when they band together they become near impossible to split. With them, they can take on almost anything. It takes great courage to stand up to your enemies.

...But it takes even greater courage to stand up to your friends or allies...

And then...

A single card flew from the sky, as a bright blue aura inflamed around Shunnosuke Kurosawa, and a new image appeared behind him, the form of his final self. A self he knew always existed, but had never understood what it meant until now. His strength now had reached a new plateau, through the power of Persona...

Shunnosuke Kurosawa's Ultimate Persona:

Code:

[b]Persona Name:[/b]

[b]Persona Type:[/b] Ultimate Persona

[b]Persona's Arcana:[/b] The World

[b]Owner:[/b] (The owner's name of the Persona. This should be your character's name)

[b]Persona Appearance:[/b] (What your Persona looks like. It should relatively be not human in appearance.)

[b]Persona Background:[/b] (Your Persona's background and history)

[b]Reflects:[/b] (Choose on type of attack your Persona reflects completely. This means they reflect damage when hit by this specific attack, whatsoever, unless a skill is used to remove this attribute.)

[b]Blocks:[/b] (Choose one type of attack your Persona blocks completely. This means they block damage when hit by this specific attack, whatsoever, unless a skill is used to remove this attribute.)

[b]Strengths:[/b] (What type of attacks is your Persona strong against? This is specifically for Elemental and Physical based skills. Damage from these attacks are reduced by half. You can have up to three strengths with the Ultimate Persona)

[b]Weaknesses:[/b] (What element/physical-based skills is it weak against? Must have atleast one unless your Arcana says otherwise. Should have an equal amount of weakness as your Ultimate Persona's strengths. Damage from these specific types of attacks are twice as effective and will cause your character to stagger their next post in PvS.)

[b]Passive Boosts:[/b] The Personas of the World Arcana are well based in everything. Thus, they get a 15% boost across the entire board excluding the boost you already have from being a part of the first Arcana type you had chosen. (You may choose a second buff aswell from the Star Arcana. [url=http://newarcana.forumotion.com/t8-the-arcana-strengths-of-arcana-types]here[/url].)

[b]Persona Skill List:[/b] ((Skill List can be found [url=http://newarcana.forumotion.com/t6-persona-skill-list]here[/url]. Your skills grow in order, meaning you must unlock Skill 4 to get to Skill 5 and so on.))

[list][i]Skill 1: (Must be a Tier 3 or below Skill)Skill 2: (Must be a Tier 3 or below Skill)Skill 3: (Must be a Tier 3 or below Skill)Skill 4: (Unlocked once accepting your Ultimate Persona as your True Self; Must be Tier 4 Skill or Lower)Skill 5: (Must have used your Ultimate Persona twenty five times in combat; Must be a Tier 4 Skill or Lower)Skill 6: (Must have used your Ultimate Persona 50 times; Must be a Tier 4 Skill or Lower)Skill 7: (Must have used your Ultimate Persona 75 times; Must be a Tier 4 Skill or Lower)Skill 8: (Must have used your Ultimate Persona 100 times; Must be a Tier 4 Skill or Lower)[/i][/list]

[b]Fusion Attack:[/b] (The Ultimate attack between you and your Persona. When using this, your Persona gifts you with the capability of performing a powerful attack. However, once this is done you can not summon your Persona again for the remainder of the topic. The attack does Tier 5 amount of damage for the Ultimate Persona and is in the same tier as skills such as the Great Seal.)

Shunnosuke gritted his teeth, not only because he tried to pull Azami back to the best of his strength...but because of the dark-haired male who attempted to stop him. Phalanx. He didn't know his name, but knowing it wasn't necessary for the lad to despise him from the get go. It was enough being defied and talked down, and that could only mean one thing in Shunnosuke's dictionary: until showing repentance, Phalanx earned in him an enemy, and the Kurosawa's narrowed, quiet glare would let this very much clear.

When Simon stepped forward, clearly reprimanding his friend, who only now Shunnosuke could identify as named Joshua, surprise was an understatement for the brunet's feelings. Simon's shown passivity so far did nothing but to leave in Shun's mouth a distaste for his companion, like someone who was just going with the flow. He couldn't be blamed if it really was the case... Shunnosuke himself felt recoiled to think he had to stand up against three people who had the very same opinion. And he was glad he did so, because he found in Simon and, much to a bigger surprise, Lewis two allies. And so he smiled...reassured that he did the right thing. YumiAmi was an evildoer, that was clear. She was not someone to be relaxed around. But she was still a human being, and she deserved to be heard. He had things to inquire her, and in due time she'd have her opportunity to voice up her concerns she left completely in the dark for the Users and Children. But for now, he was glad he managed to keep her alive.

— ...! — There was something weird in the air. He felt different. In a way he had never experienced before, and though he couldn't determine exactly what had changed, he could say that, from that point on, it changed forever. That's what the flying card in front of his eyes meant, wasn't it? The atmosphere was not cantankerous anymore. There was no space for that overwhelming anxiety who took over moments before, the feeling of an imminent accident, but the satisfying emotion of someone who did the right choice at the right time in the right place, and so had no regrets. The floating mysterious outline of a humanoid figure in front of him nodded. They shared the same feeling, and though both said no words to each other, the exchange of stare was enough. It spoke louder than any fiery speech would.

"I am thou... Thou Art I... I cometh from the seas of thy heart...",

their melodic voice, as crystalline as clear, echoed in his mind. Shunnosuke knew, in that brief moment, as brief as the blink of an eye, when his vision darkened and still he saw the image of those mystical outlines poising in the air... It was his Other Self. His True Self, the Final Self.

Shunnosuke's eyes opened up again, gaze focused specifically on Azami and Phalanx, and had a resolute strength that wasn't there before, the same kind of strength who didn't make him let go of his chainwhip, and even people who had little involvement or acquaintanceship with him would acknowledge this. — You said you'd kill anyone attempting to stop you... If you have no manners, don't make me teach you by force.

He had thought that they were finally done with YumiAmi☆♥. But he was wrong, Shunnosuke stopped Azami. Joshua was starting to get annoyed by these people as he ignored their enemy for a while. Even more annoyed that how the odds were now going to be completely stacked against them. They were just finishing a difficult battle. Joshua knew Simon wasn't really trying his best except for that one attack that missed. But he likely will this time around. The guy that came with Shunnosuke was also quite strong too. This wasn't going to go well, even when he noticed what happened to Naomi was happening to Shunnosuke as well. This was absolutely bad news…. that is, if they were going to continue fighting.

But looking at Simon caused his amber-hued eyes to widen in surprise. At first, he was actually taken off guard that someone like Simon was even nearly capable of making such a face he made now. But it didn't completely deter him alone. His words were deep, but...

"You're right. We came here to make Zackary tell us what he knows about Rinna. I got too excited," Joshua grudgingly admitted as he put a hand on his forehead as if he was feeling sick, "I... I don't know what got into me. I… I don’t know...”

Something strange was happening to Joshua and he couldn't quite put a finger on it. It was likely linked to his new Persona for better or worse, most likely for the worst. It honestly scared him, but he wouldn't show it on his face... at least not easily as one could probably see the worry in his eyes. But even then, it didn't last long as Joshua returned to his stony visage. Though the likes of Simon should be able to tell.

Yamato-Takeru finally disappeared into a plume of red smoke before that also disappeared too. At the same time, Joshua's eyes turned back to normal. He was standing down. The Nyarlathotep Child maybe aligned to Nyarlathotep without his knowledge or consent, but he wasn't going to fight his friend. Not now. Though some of its influence was still leaking into him, if ever subtly. Perhaps Simon can still catch that while Joshua likely didn't as he spoke again.

"But if it comes to caring about humanity, we are not wrong. I'm not wrong. If a threat appears, we get rid of it just like two years ago. Primordial or Angel, even human if need be like in this case. Simple as that. Humanity is too vulnerable to give things like this a chance without any benefit. Rinna would agree with me on this. But if you insist on letting her live, then she's your baggage, your responsibility. I'll be honest though. I stopped caring about the world, except you... and Rinna.

He swallowed silently and looked away for a moment at the demons up in the sky. Joshua remembered when Rinna somehow got him involved out of accident. It was a surreal night. Hell, all of what happened back then felt surreal. But it was an evening he couldn't forget. Yet, it was a night that made him see the hell that was the Primordial’s world.

"I already gave my dues to the World when the Primordials attacked and being involved was forced on me. Then I got shafted afterwards despite my contributions when I left the islands for a while..."

It was funny and strange now that Joshua thought about it. The dialogue between YumiAmi☆♥ and Adiyna sounded very familiar. But he didn't dare to try to feel sympathetic of her plight... but that was unsuccessful at one point when he first hesitated to continue the fight. Even then, that wouldn't be enough to stop him from wanting to get rid of her to tie up loose ends. Only Simon, Shunnosuke, and Lewis would be the only ones to stop him and the rest. Perhaps it would be up to him to defuse things.

He turned to look over at Phalanx and Azami. They were in the right to want to kill YumiAmi☆♥ . That girl was a loose end that could cause havoc. She was too dangerous. "I advise you two to stand down. If Simon gets serious, he can take both of you down without a problem on his own. And he was what kept us from being squashed by the Primordials when we first fought their Father. You thought YumiAmi was tough? Wait until you deal with him and the brunette and his boytoy here. And there's me to deal with if you're going to keep going. I don't like fighting my friend and I don't want him hurt. And I don't want to hurt you guys too. I know this whole shit is fucking stupid, but listen to me. Alright?"

New Weakness:

—Weakness Name: Enhanced Murderous Intentions—Description: Joshua has a lot of anger and disappointment bottled up inside. And it's now a fuse waiting to blow up with the right stimuli. While he may not berserk like others, but he can be actually reckless to cause harm to others. Upon becoming a Nyarlathotep Child, the Persona is starting to have a bigger influence of his decision making. The stronger it gets, the more murderous he tends to be depending on the given situation. At times, he may not realize it until others point it out. Depending on how his anger is stoked, he may not care or even be aware of it. How this evolves depends on what happens to Joshua.

OOC:

I hope you don’t mind me doing this, Gran. Can you post in this weakness while replacing Murderous Intentions? Also Shun’s going to edit her post to add in music, btw.

Azami had almost struck Yumi when she heard the sound of weapons clashing behind her. Her shinai would stop its course and she'd turn her attention away from the purple-haired woman to the group behind her. At first she had thought that perhaps another parasite from the parallel worlds was intervening, but it was then that she saw the whip in Shun's hands. Was he really trying to stop her? Her eyes narrowed in contempt as she focused her gaze on him. She had meant what she said.

It seemed he wasn't alone though. Whatever unity the group had quickly crumbled under the weight of Shunnosuke's dissent and, like a pack of rabid dogs, half the group turned on her. And their reason for all of this? Because Yumi was human. Because they shared the same species. Azami stared at them aghast. That was their justification for this? That?! A half-hearted chuckle escaped her lips. "A self-avowed criminal who thinks he's in any position to lecture people on their life choices... A man who proclaims himself a protector of the world one moment and jumps to the defense of those who want nothing more than to destroy it the next... And their leader -- a naive manchild whose sole reason for defending a would-be murderer is that she's a human! Yeah, she is. So fucking what? Last time I checked, being human doesn't make you some kind of saint. Have you ever been abused or beaten? Have you ever been raped, or lynched, or mutilated, or burned alive? Humans are fucking monsters. They do all those things and more to each other in the course of a single day. For every good apple in the cart there's ten more rotting and crawling with worms."

Azami was getting noticeably heated at this point. It was bad enough that he stopped her. It was bad enough that he had insulted her right to her face as though he knew a damn thing about her or her motivations. But the fact that he did for such an asinine, pathetic reason... Her face said it all. The Wild Card was not pleased with him in the slightest.

And then something happened. Something that didn't bode well.

Some weird card floated down from the sky above and suddenly Shunnosuke began to exude a strange, powerful aura. Behind him appeared a Persona, but... That wasn't his Persona, was it? He had used a different one during the battle. Confusion struck her and she staggered back in surprise as they switched roles. The confidence Azami had departed from her almost instantaneously while the anxious boy gained a sudden surge of it. Her eyes darted from Simon, to Lewis, to Shunnosuke. She was clearly at a disadvantage here and the dawning realization of that filled her with reluctance.

"Don't you get it? Yumi... She's the enemy! If we let her go then... then--!!"

Her mouth closed abruptly as a voice once again echoed in her mind. It was a familiar one: one belonging to Bhima, her other self.

"They will never understand... No one could ever understand us. Kill... them. All of them."

The whispers in the back of her mind grew to a roar. Bhima clawed away at the walls of her psyche desperate to escape. His rage... no, their rage. She could feel it coursing through her veins. Adrenaline was being pumped through her entire body in anticipation of the fight to come. "Kill, kill, kill! Rip them to pieces! They're the enemy! Devour them and take their power for yourself!"

The yellow glow returned to her eyes and alongside it came the hunger from before. Bhima appeared behind her and swiftly pointed his sword at the three who intended to stop his master. This time, however, his words would be audible to everyone within the area. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard -- a raspy, hate-filled voice befitting only of a rabid dog.

"Cr...ush. I will... crush them."

"How about I give you a glimpse of humanity's REAL nature? Maybe then you'll understand where I'm coming from."

Azami was ready to fight. In fact, she was itching for it. She didn't want to fight Shunnosuke at first. But maybe, just maybe, she could pound some sense into that thick skull of his. Just as she was about to strike though, Joshua spoke up. She fell silent and listened to his words carefully. Apparently he planned on going her against too. It was... disappointing. But she couldn't exactly blame him. What caught her attention in particular though was his admission that he had stopped caring about the world save two people. It reminded her of herself in a way. Before the demon invasion struck, before that strange dream, she had been the same. She had lost interest in this world a long time ago and lived solely for the sake of those close to her ever since then. Even now she only fought to preserve the world in the hopes of getting some opportunity to change it. Seeing herself reflected in her enemies, first with Yumi and now with Joshua... It was getting eerie.

Azami let out a sigh and dismissed both Bhima as well as her soulbound shinai. She placed her hands in the pockets of her skirt and stepped away from Yumi. Tilting her head over her shoulder, she'd focus her eyes directly on Shunnosuke before speaking. "This is more trouble than it's worth. Fine. Take her and go find some place you can lock her away. You can bring white hair and the kidnapper along with you just in case any of her friends show up. The rest of us will go on up to meet Zackary. But," she paused and narrowed her eyes, "if she comes after my life again or kills even a single innocent person, I'll hunt you down to the ends of the earth and make you suffer like no one has ever suffered before. From this point onward any blood she gets on her hands is on yours as well. That's the price of mercy. Understood?"

If Shunnosuke was willing to make peace and had no further objections then Azami would leave Yumi to him and head off toward the tower.

"Hrm... Well... if you say so. I'll back down..." His system was reaching critical levels anyway. He'd overheat any moment now... "I'd... suggest backin-" But before he could warn the others, his systems overheated. His eyes rolled back into his skull, and a hot cloud of smoke from the vaporized cooling agent erupted from all over the androids skin, as he collapsed onto his knees with a metallic *Clunk*.

He'd lie there, probably to the confusion of everyone else around who hadn't seen an Anti-shadow suppression weapon before. The steam itself wasn't dangerous, but it would most likely be really uncomfortable standing in, given it's intense heat. Touching the now overheated Phalanx without some protective gear, on the other hand, would surely singe any skin pretty badly. He knew the risks of using Orgia mode, and this would be his very first own overheat. Not a paticularly pleasant experience...

Simon and Lewis looked upon Shun as he achieved his Ultimate strength. Lewis smirked, and laughed like he heard the best punchline.

"Shunnosuke, I've never seen you so fierce...but dammit if you didn't make my blood chill. I got your back, now that I can actually help." When he heard Azami threaten him, Lewis gave her a glance. " I used to be just like you. If you don't want to be disappointed and stay cynical that's your call, but we can agree at the very least that this will not end well if we get into an actual fight. My friend here can probably whoop some ass," He said, placing his hands in his pockets. Seeing them back down was nice. He wasn't against a fight if needed. Shunnosuke didn't know it, but seeing him grow lit something in Lewis' heart. He never truly had much of a decent outlook on life, even when they spoke in prison. But in two years, the young man changed, and he was glad to see a snob like him turn into someone that's still a snob, but a noble snob. Simon looked at Joshua with a grimace. "The thing is, she probably would have agreed with you. I disagree with her too. But I know you both are my friends. I believe in you, and I won't watch you turn into something that I can see in myself." He went silent, and would not address anything until the conflict stopped. Everyone was tense, and they wanted to believe that this could turn in a better direction. YumiAmi☆♥ grimaced. "You pity me too much. I won't ask for any mercy, since in the grand scheme of things I matter as much as that ant next to your shoe. But fine. I'll tell you what I feel like telling you." It seemed to be going well, though a voice from the silver-tongued man was enough to break the surface of their own bubble of conversation.

"I think this has gone on long enough...."

Suddenly mounds of flesh would snap over their heads in the shape of an ugly branch, as it would collapse around the body of the defeated girl, and encase her in the mounds, before it returned to Analee, as the body was held in her arms, still trapped in the flesh. YumiAmi ☆♥ of course was in no position to resist, and would be whisked away by Analee, who took a look at Joshua with a concern, before reverting to a state of emotionlessness and making her way into the building with the body of the woman.

Zackary smirked. "While your moment was cute and all, I am sure I can answer the questions she could if we meet. Come up and see me, and we shall converse." And with that, he would remain at the top for them to arrive. Adiyna however, would attempt to charge at Zackary, who would respond by ducking under a punch he threw, and sent a foot against his chance, back onto the pavement. The strange thing was that Adiyna looked to be rather quick, but Zackary had turned around before his charge, as though his reflexes were near superhuman. What happened to him? "You're nowhere near as strong as I am. I don't wish to kill you yet myself. I only want the woman. Why don't you wait till the rest get up here?" Adiyna looked at him. He wanted to save YumiAmi☆♥ in all seriousness, even if they weren't the closest of allies, but for now, he would consent. He had plenty to speak of regarding the others as well.

Everything actually worked out well in the end, even though he didn't disagree with how it all ended. Joshua had thought Azami was going to start attacking and he was ready to allow that familiar ache to happen again to summon Yamato-Takeru. But, she was able to stand down. Perhaps this was a blessing in its own way or a curse. No one knew.

Joshua looked down at the ground and said nothing for a while. Nothing really seemed to make sense to him about Simon anymore. He felt like screaming in annoyance at all of this, but this wasn't the place or the time for it. All he could say was a, "We'll see...."

Joshua glared at their fallen enemy as if to tell her with his expression that it would be unwise to not tell everything. But his scowl wouldn't last long as Zachary and Analee both decided to become relevant once more and what happened next occurred suddenly. But once the red-head retrieved YumiAmi and Zachary beckoned them to come up, his glare became ever more intensified. He had no words for either of them. But he did for everyone else.

"Let's go. Can't keep him wai--Whatthefuck?" he yelped as Phalanx finally collapsed, "...Oh for the love of Christ!"

The steam almost hit him as he jumped back in surprise. He stared at the thing incredulously. Shadows, Primordials, Angels, Demons, and Personas were a thing that he apparently knew for a while. But to think robots are also a thing? He wondered if there was no end to the madness in this world. At this point, he just wasn't going to be surprised at what's happening anymore.

Clearly that thing was going to be hot to touch and there was no way they could carry him normally.

"Tch. Yamato."

The Persona returned upon his command, causing the amber color to return to his eyes once more. It carried Phalanx carefully while being unaffected by the heat for now.

"Let's not waste time. C'mon," he called out for everyone else to follow while starting to head inside the building with Yamato-Takeru and Phalanx in tow.

For the entirety of the confrontation, the Kurosawa assumed his quiet stance. He may have a lot to say, but no will to actually give moral lessons on anyone, no matter how much they were actually deserving of it. And not for a moment, he averted his sight from the trio in front of him, locking right to Azami's. That girl... His memory didn't fail him, there was something familiar about her. Like he had met her previously in a different occasion, and it's something he could only notice now, paying a closer attention due to the moment. Shunnosuke of course couldn't point his finger on how or where exactly, but the easily recognized reproachable attitude was there. In whatever way, he did mean it: he felt confident enough to not stand in the background anymore and let others do the fighting. It was different right now, accepting his Final Self meant he could actually fight for himself.

— Oh, just ignore her, Lewis. — The Persona User scoffed arrogantly at the girl while is defensive stance changed back to his straight posture. Astraea and his newfound Persona disappeared, fading gradually in thin air. — Empty threats won't change the fact they are the only thing she can do now that this "manchild" and his "boytoy" struck her nerves, nothing else. At least let her pretend she still has some pride unbroken... — Of course Shunnosuke could partake verbal clashes back and forth if he wanted, almost as if it was some sort of sport or personal pleasure to him. For someone who's virtually powerless, in the physical sense of the word, he had learned to compensate with his intelligence, eloquence and social influence, ways of making a classy and intimidating impression. However, he had priorities. Lecturing Azami at how much hypocrisy she has been pouring out and how she has shown to be no different than YumiAmi was not one of his, even if he wouldn't pass the opportunity of making fun of her attempt to sound oh-so-dangerous, and no matter how hard were her efforts to place guilty and responsibility upon Shunnosuke, he knew in his core he did the right thing. He chose to have no regrets, but instead a clean conscience, and that's a priceless feeling regardless of the consequences that may come. Fighting her right now was not one either, and judging by the sudden collapse from the third member of her party, the Wild Card was clearly at a disadvantage here should they engage into another battle. Phalanx's being shut down did attract some attention and curiosity from Shunnosuke, almost a sudden scared reaction that made his almond eyes widen up a little. Was the battle too much for the poor guy (guy?) to handle? In any event, Shunnosuke didn't make more than stare curiously at him. The dark-haired robot would be pampered by his team mates, anyway, not like the Kurosawa had to bother and assist him, unaware of the mechanical nature of his former ally/enemy — he did hear the metallic sound Phalanx made when he felt unconscious, but...that was his imagination, wasn't it? He couldn't actually be one more... Oh Lord. That said, his priority was way ahead: Zachary.

— ... — Analee was still under his control, it seemed. And YumiAmi has some use to him... Not what Shunnosuke expected, at all. Though Zachary since the start made his short-haired right-hand man (or girl, in this case) focus her assaults on her and the panda-hooded kid, Shunnosuke couldn't help but wonder what exactly he had in his sleeves for YumiAmi now she had expired her strength. Knowing Zachary, it was something up to no good. — I agree with him. Time is against us here... — He nodded upon Joshua's decision and, waiting for Simon and Lewis to follow, headed to where Zachary is right after. They may not see eye-to-eye, but their goal here was one and the same. And there are still some questions left unanswered from long ago...

Shunnosuke's remark stung. It was bad enough that Azami was forced to leave Yumi a threat, but now the Kurosawa had decided to pour salt on her wounds with his mockery. She shot him a glare and opened her mouth to reply with some sort of comeback or insult of her own, but no words came to mind. A sullen, defeated expression crossed her face and the humiliated girl would hurriedly turn away from him in an effort to hide it. "He's not worth my time," She'd think bitterly as she continued onward toward the tower. Thankfully it appeared that no further interruptions----

*THUD*

Son of a bitch.

A loud metallic clang rang out and reached the woman's ears. What was it this time? At this point it was getting to be more annoying than it was concerning. With an exasperated sigh, Azami would skid to a stop and turn to face the direction the sound came from. What she saw next, however, wasn't exactly what she was expecting. It seemed Phalanx had passed out and was releasing... steam? Was that steam? That definitely wasn't normal. And that clunk -- did that come from him? Her brow raised in confusion briefly before suddenly it hit her.

"...Seriously? Robots?"

It was a rather dull reaction to such an odd revelation, but at this point it was all she could muster up. So much had happened in so little time to the point where she couldn't really say the existence of an entity like Phalanx was that shocking to her. For a moment she was worried that his lack of consciousness would prove problematic, but thankfully Joshua had things under control and used his Persona to pick him up. Giving him a look of gratitude, she'd nod in agreement with him and resume following him to the tower. Hopefully Zackary could shed some light on this whole situation. Though Azami did have to wonder... If shit hit the fan and they ended up fighting him, would things play out the same as they did with YumiAmi? Would Shunnosuke insist on sparing him as well? After all, to do otherwise would make him nothing more than a hypocrite.

"..."

All Azami could do was hope things wouldn't come to that. Conflict with Zackary was undesirable enough on its own right. She didn't want to have to deal with Simon, Lewis, and Shun on top of that. But if they continued to insist on sparing threats without concern for the consequences or ramifications of doing so then there wasn't any other option available to her. She'd have no choice but to fight.